Support Calls - You or *Company Name* ?

outlander on 21/05/2017 - 22:09
Last edited 22/05/2017 - 00:01

Here's a question that's had me puzzled for a while

Let's say your internet is having problems, its flaky and it keeps timing out on you so you call up technical support.

Do you treat the service rep as a representative of the company, like an ambassador, or as part of the company itself?
Do you say "My service is not up to standard, and you need to fix it" or do you say
"My service is not up to standard, and $company name$ needs to fix it"

Should you treat the representative as responsible for the actions of the group?

General Discussion

Comments

  • captobvious on 21/05/2017 - 22:26
    +3

    I tell them its everyones fault but my own!

  • scrimshaw on 21/05/2017 - 22:46
    +5

    Depends if you just want to insult somebody to make yourself feel better.

    If you want to treat the customer service rep as your emotional punching bag, you could pile on the insults and blame them.

    Or if you want to be a rational human being and believe that the service rep actually wants to help you, then you ask if Rep could give you a hand with your problem. Sometimes they might! Sometimes you might get somebody who isn't grossly underpaid and is happy to do their job!

    Should you treat the representative as responsible for the actions of the group?

    Really now? do you think a customer service rep who is basically at the lowest rung of the workplace hierarchy and who has zero managerial functions should take responsibility of the entire Service Provider as a whole?

    • outlander on 21/05/2017 - 23:03

      Well that's what I'm wondering. My natural response is to be civil, "hi, how are you, this is the 15th time I've called but I don't want to possibily insinuate thats its your fault in any way" but I'm also aware that bad people know about this tenancy to avoid conflict, and will exploit it, deliberately creating situations that put "nice people" who have no power to do anything in the way of a achieving a proper and timely resolution. They use ignorant people as a shield, in other words

      • scrimshaw on 21/05/2017 - 23:13

        You have the right to express your anger. But, you don't have the right to insult someone by saying "I paid money for this shit and you're failing me", that's a very cheap shot.

        There are right and wrong ways to get the resolution you want. The right way is to negotiate and collaborate.
        If your internet is flaky you could ask: "I'm paying this much but I'm not getting the service I need. Can I please have
        option A) all my money back or b) credit my monthly bill or c) waive the contract.

        The wrong way is to swear and pin the blame on the first person you talk to. It's actually counter-productive to start a shitfight over the phone when the time you spend venting could be better spent finding an alternative resolution or remedy.

        • outlander on 21/05/2017 - 23:34

          You have the wrong idea. I don't insult anyone.

          What your saying sounds good in theory, but what happens when
          -they say there's nothing they can do (when I know there are things they haven't tried)?
          -treat me like I'm trying to scam them by insisting on what was promised
          -Delay transferring me to someone with more authority

          Playing buddy-buddy rarely gets you anywhere fast, and in a war of attrition westerners lose out to cheap 3rd world labor. My objective is to get the problem resolved as fast as I can. If I have to spend 45 minutes sorting out an erroneuos charge of $15, I've lost money.
          Their objective is to resolve my issue quickly, without paying me any money. If it's too time intensive or costly they're better off stalling me or fobing me off. I try to be nice, but at what point do you decide being nice against an opponent who lies and cheats is not a smart move?

        • scrimshaw on 21/05/2017 - 23:59

          @outlander:
          Negotiation is a learned skill.

          I'm not saying you should play buddy-buddy with a company that is unable to give you what you expected, but to be diplomatic and calm when you negotiate for things. You make your demands (in a firm BUT reasonable manner), rather than throwing a tantrum and raising your blood pressure.

          You will get what you want, faster. Getting angry is not always the ticket to better customer service

          Remember customer service reps are trained to provide service (although not always very well!) but they not trained to handle psychopaths over the phone. Only shrinks deal with that.

        • outlander on 22/05/2017 - 11:38

          @scrimshaw:

          Don't take this the wrong way scrimshaw, but your advice comes off as a little naive. Did you even read the first comment on that link you posted? You seem to be viewing this in a black/white scenerio, when there's a large gray portion. I'm not about to throw tantrums or swear, because to me those cross a line, but there are things we can do that change the tone of the conversation to make it more unpleasant. One of those is switch the language we use from general to a more personal level. I've called this company up 5 times? No, I've called you 5 times. I am holding you personally responsible for this
          Generally the more uncomfortable someone is, the less they'll want to deal with you, making it more likely they'll offer you the most they can or be willing to transfer you to the manager quicker.

          It's unfortunate, but in a war between customers seeking the best value and corporations skirting the law and running deliberately underfunded call centres, customer service reps are caught in the middle.

          And psycopaths, like Donald Trump? No respect for the man but he seems to be doing very well with his aggressive no compromise style

  • retiredfeline on 21/05/2017 - 22:47

    Neither

  • airal3rt on 21/05/2017 - 23:49

    Option B) Treat them as an ambassador, because that's exactly what they are.

    Don't say "I paid good money for this sh#t and you're failing me", say something like:

    "Given the money I spend here on product/service XYZ, the simple fact is your company is not doing enough to help me effectively resolve this issue." That way you're not personally attacking them, but making it clear they need to lift their standard of service and fix the damn problem.

    • outlander on 21/05/2017 - 23:57

      But you do say 'your company' and not 'company xyz', implying personal responsibility?

      I paid good money for this sh#t and you're failing me

      It seems people are missing that I meant that part as a joke so I think I better rephrase it

      • airal3rt on 22/05/2017 - 00:29
        +1

        No you're not implying personal responsibility, you're implying their professional responsibility.

        Here's the levels of implication: You >>> Your company >>> Company XYZ

        The middle option is most suitable, demanding they take ownership of the situation as it is their professional responsibility as an individual fronting the company, but not accusing them personally, subtle yet important distinction.

  • Geekomatic on 22/05/2017 - 02:37
    +1

    Any more, the 1st line people are just script-readers. They are there to try to help you via reading through their script & hoping something on it works. And it's hard to move them off that script, too. I had to reset my mobile & I remembered it needing a different apn set up on it. I had to keep asking the tech for those settings because she kept trying to follow her "troubleshooting no data" script.

    They also have been given that, "if we have to send someone out & there's no fault, you will be charged XXXX fee" veiled threat to try, to get you to further assess everything, on your own. I really hate that bit. Basically, the consumer must be a tech, themselves, in order to avoid getting slammed with that threatened fee.

    I signed a guy up to Telstra recently, as he wasn't capable. He received a modem in the post a week later. Yet, when I went to set it up & hook up the Telstra TV, I found he'd never gotten a password texted to him?? When I rang the first time, they had no record of him— yet they posted him a modem? It took me multiple calls to try to get it sorted (hours). He still doesn't have it. Then, because I spoke to them on his behalf, they sent me HIS bill in my email! Even though the form filled said he wanted it posted to him. This, has been going on now for weeks.

    Things are slowly being set up so that you just won't call (or, can't call because you don't have hours during the day to do so). The only thing I've found helpful is a TIO complaint (I do many for the pensioners I serve). It's really going from bad to worse….

    • outlander on 22/05/2017 - 11:59

      That is ridiculous, and your first paragraph is exactly what I'm talking about. It's like a game where you can't skip the tutorial.

      The TIO complaint is a good one. Shame we can't do it for everything.

      You know what my favorite part of service calls are? When you get what you fairly asked for, but the customer service rep phrases it like "We're not admitting it was our fault, but we'll let you have this thing just this once" as if its some huge favor

  • [Deactivated] on 22/05/2017 - 09:36
    +1

    I use the company name as to be nice and make them feel better about the shitty situation.

    If I feel they're taking the piss then I start to make it personal by first sating you and then start using their name.

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